Scleroscope.



w. F. SHORE.

SCLEROSCOPE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 27. I9l4.

Patented Sept 28, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESSES:

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WMQ 5 w W. F. SHORE.

SCLEROSCOPE.

APPLICATION man MAYZI. 1914.

Patented. Sept. 28, 1915.

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3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m; ATTORNEY W. F. SHORE.

SCLEROSCOPE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY27. 1914.

1,154,663. Patented Sept. 28, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3f INVENTOR WITNESSES:

I 5 BY fi ATTORNEY WILLIAM F. SHORE,

are.

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE SHORE INSTRUMENT 86 MANUFACTURINGCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

I SCLEROSCOPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1915..

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. SHORE, acitizen of the United States, residing at 237 West One Hundred andForty-eighth street, New York, in the county of New York and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inScleroscopes, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXactspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in scleroscopes or instrumentsfor testing the hardness of solid substances.

In United States Letters Patent No. 962,790, issued June 28, 1910, thereis described and claimed a scleroscope, embodying a striker, means forraising and retain ing the striker at a given height above the substanceto be tested, and means for releasing the striker, which then falls bygravity upon the substance to be tested. The height of the rebound ofthe striker from the substance is readable upon a properly calibratedscale, and indicates accurately the hardness of the tested substance. Asis obvious, however, the striker does not remain at the height of itsrebound, but falls down upon the substance immediately after therebound. Consequently, the operator has to read the height of therebound instantly, at the moment the striker is at its highest point.This is diflicult and can only be done by a trained operator, skilled innoting the position of the striker with relation to the scale at theinstant the striker is in its highest position of the rebound from thesubstance to be tested.

The broad object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means foreliminating the above difficulty and whereby the height of the rebound,of the tested substance, is shown definitely by a pointer on a graduateddial, the pointer remaining at rest at a given degree. until anothertest is to be made, thus permitting of .1 accurate reading by unskilledoperators.

Other objects of the invention are to improve in general theconstruction of the scleroscope with a view of obtaining an accuratescientific instrument, comprising a relatively few number of parts andadapted to be manufactured at a reasonable cost.

a. 6., the degree of hardness These and other ancillary objects oftheinvention will appear as this specification proceeds, while referenceis had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of a scleroscope embodying the invention. Fig.2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view, with partsomitted. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the lower portion of Fig. 3,showing the clutch mechanism for retaining the striker at its highestpoint of the rebound, together with otherassociated elements of theinvention. Fig. v5 is a transverse sectional View, taken on line 55 ofFig. 4. Fig. 6 is a similar view on the line 66 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 isanother sectional View on line 7.7 of Fig. 4c, and Fig. 8 is a detailview of certain parts of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow 8in Fig. 6.

Referring to the general construction and appearance of the apparatus inFigs. 1 and 2, the reference numeral 10 indicates a base adapted to beleveled by screws 11. 12 is an anvil inserted in the base, and 13 is anupright for the support of a shaft 14, which carries a pinion 15operated by a handwheel 16, for adjusting the position of thescleroscope 17 above the substance to be tested, which is placed uponthe anvil, for which purpose the scleroscope is provided with a rack 18,which meshes with the pinion 15 aforesaid.

The scleroscope proper, comprises a cylindrical casing or tube 19,secured to the aforesaid rack18. The casing 19 carries to the one side aprotecting tube 20 for the plumb rod 21, the position of which may beobserved through an aperture 22 in a block 28, secured to the casing 19,Fig. 1. To the other side of the casing 19, there is secured a tube 24containing means to be described hereafter, for operating a pointer orindicator 25, which moves over a scale 26, within a housing 27, carriedby a plug 28 at the top of the casing 19. WVithin said plug there ismovably supported a rod 29, a hook 30 at its lowerend.

The striker 31, which is the main operating element of my invention, isin the form of a rod of superhard compressed steel, provided with arecess 32, forming an inner having flange at the top,,and having ashoulder 33 near the bottom.

34 is a diamond or other substance of like hardness inserted in thelower end of the striker, Fig. 4.

Surrounding the upper end of the striker (Fig. 3) there is a fixedbushing 90, forming a guide at 35. A spring 36 bears against a shoulderon the bushing and the lower end of the spring bears against a shoulderon the indicator-operating sleeve 37 to which is secured a rack 38. Thespring 36 forces the sleeve 37 down against a fixed outer hollow clutchmember 39, having an inner cone shaped surface 40. The sleeve 37 alsohas a shoulder 41 at its lower end, Fig. 4.

Interposed between the striker 31 and the outer clutch member is aninner movable clutch member in the form of a sleeve or cylinder 42,having the lower and upper annular shoulders 43 and 44, which latter areadapted to bear against the shoulder 45 in the outer clutch member 39.The inner clutch membercarries balls 46 adapted to grip the striker 31.

47 is a pilot-sleeve having an annular flange 48 adapted to take againstthe shoulder 33 on the striker and provided with opposed lugs 49 whichproject outward through slots 50 in'the movable clutch member 42. Thelugs 49 are engaged or caught by hooks 51 pivoted on thedial-operatingsleeve 37 at 52 and joined by a yoke 53, which lies withina cutout 54 in the sleeve 37, as seen in Figs. 6 and 8. Springs 55 keepthe hooks 51 in engagement with the lugs 49. Within a groove 56, Fig. 5,in the sleeve 37, lies a trip 58, secured'by screws to the outer fixedclutch member 39. The trip has a finger 59, which projects inwardly overthe hook yoke 53.

60 is a rack secured to the dial-operating sleeve 37 and which mesheswith a pinion 61 on a shaft 62, operated by a knob 63, Fig. 1. The shaft62 is supported in the block 23.

Referring to Fi 3, the aforesaid rack 38, on the sleeve 3%, meshes witha pinion 68 journaled in the casing 19, and which pinion 68 in turnoperates a rack 69 within the sleeve or tube 24 aforesaid. Secured tothe rack, there is a pin 70, which enga es frictionally a sleeve 71,carrying a pin 2, adapted to strike a rod 73 secured to a crossbar 74 tothe other end of which the aforesaid rod 29 is fixed. The cross-bar 74carries a guide-pin 75, which is provided with a rack 76 in mesh with apinion 77 on the shaft of the indicator 25. 80 is a protecting cap forthe lower end of the striker 31.

The operation is as follows: The sub stance to be tested is laid on theanvil 12 and the scleroscope adjusted in position upon the substance bymeans of the pinion 15 and rack 18, Fig. 2. The knob 63-is then turnedmoves upward with the sleeve 37, being 79 caught by the hooks 51 and theflange 48 on the pilot-sleeve, engages the shoulder 33 on the striker31, moving the latter upward also and disengaging its flange 32 from thehook 30. On the upward movement, and 75 before the yoke 53 of the hooks51, reaches the trip finger 59, the pilot-sleeve 47 engages the lowershoulder 43 of the movable clutch member 42 lifting it and therewith theballs 46 out of clutching position within 0 the case 40. The upwardmovement continues until the yoke 53 strikes the tripfinger 59 when thehooks 51 swing on their pivots 52 and release the pilot-sleeve 47. Thelatter and the striker now fall together. 8 The pilot-sleeve in its fallpulls down the clutch-sleeve 42 and the balls 46, because thepilot-sleeve lugs 49 strike the lower edge 95 of the cut-out 50 of theclutch sleeve, Fig.

8, but as the clutch is only a one-way clutch the downward pull of theclutch leaves the striker free to rebound. The moment, however, that thestriker by gravitation again begins to fall, its second downwardmovement is instantly arrested by the balls settling between the strikerand the cone surface 40. The lifting of the sleeve 37 causes a rotationof the pinion 68 in an anti-clockwise direction, and it in turn pullsdown 'the rack 69, pin 70, friction-sleeve 71, and

pin 72, and-the cross-head 74 drops down upon the bracket 96, Fig. 3,thus returning the pointer 25 toze'ro. Thereafter, the knob 63 -isreturned by the operator, and the sleeve 37 is then forced down by thespring 36, whereby the pinion 68 is rotated in the opposite clockwisedirection, lifting the rack, 69 and pin 70, which carries the sleeve 71upward, and through the instrumentality of the pin 72 striking the rod73, the cross-head 74 is lifted until the hook 30 engages the flange 33in the striker. The weight of the latter prevents further lifting of thecross-head 74, but the upward movement of the latter has been indicatedby the pointer 25, as is obvious. Further upward movement of the rack 69causes the pin 70 to slide within the friction sleeve 71;

To sum up. The striker is lifted a certain height, then released, andthen it falls.

On its rebound, it is caught and held at a height, depending upon therebound i. 6., the hardness of the tested substance, and which height isdifferent for each degree of hardness of the substance. The followingrotation of the pinion 68, caused by the spring 36, results in an upwardmovement of the pin 75 and corresponding movement of the pointer whichcontinues until the hook 30 engages the striker, when the indicatorstops,

thus registering definitely and remaining at rest until another test isto be made of the hardness of the substance.

Fig. 3 shows a modified form of striker, in that a supplemental hammer100 is used, which transmits the blow from the striker to the substanceto be tested.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the rebound of the striker ispermanently indicated upon the scale until another test is to be made,consequently, the apparatus can be operated by unskilled operatives andan accurate record of the tests may be obtained.

The details of the construction, as set forth, may be varied within theprinciple of the invention, and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for testing the hardness of a solid body, comprising incombination a striker, means for lifting the same, means for releasingsaid striker from its lifting means, permitting said striker to impingeand rebound from the said solid body, means for arresting the strikerWhen it has reached its greatest height by reason of the rebound andmechanical means in said apparatus for permanently registering therebound of the striker.

2. An apparatus for testing the hardness of a solid body, comprising incombination a striker, means for lifting the same, means forautomatically releasing said striker from its lifting means, permittingsaid striker to impinge and rebound from the said solid body, means forarresting the striker When it has reached its greatest height by reasonof the rebound and mechanical means in said apparatus for registeringthe rebound of the striker. I

8. An apparatus for testing the hardness I of a solid body, comprisingin combination a striker, means for lifting the same, means forautomatically releasing said striker from its lifting means, permittingsaid striker to impinge and rebound from the said solid body, means forarresting the striker when it'has reached its greatest height by reasonof the rebound and mechanical means for permanently registering therebound of the striker in said apparatus.

4. An apparatus for testing the hardness of a solid body, comprising incombination a striker, means for lifting the latter a iven distance,means for releasing the striker from its lifting means when said strikerhas reached its highest position, permitting the striker to impinge andrebound from said body, and means for arresting the striker when it hasreached its greatest height by reason of the rebound.

5. of a solid body, comprising in combination a striker, means forlifting the latter a given distance, means for releasing the strikerbody,

An apparatus for testing the hardness from its lifting means When saidstriker has reached its highest position, permitting the striker toimpinge and rebound from said body, a clutch mechanism, and a pluralityof balls in said clutch mechanism for arresting the striker when it hasreached its greatest height by reason of the rebound.

6. An apparatus for testing the hardness of a solid body, comprising incombination a striker, means for lifting the latter a given distance,means for releasing the. striker from its lifting means when saidstriker has reached its highest position, permitting the striker toimpinge and rebound from said body, a clutch mechanism, and a pluralityof balls in said clutch mechanism for arresting the striker to preventthe latter from again impinging said solid body.

7. An apparatus for testing the hardness of a solid body, comprising incombination a striker, means for lifting the latter a given distance,means for automatically releasing the striker from its lifting meansWhen said striker has reached its highest position, permitting thestriker to impinge and rebound from said body, and means forautomatically arresting the striker when it has reached its greatestheight by reason of the rebound.

8. An apparatus for testing the hardness of a solid body, comprising incombination a striker, means for lifting the latter a given distance,means for releasing the striker from its lifting means when said strikerhas.

striker to impinge and rebound from said body, and an automatic clutchfor arresting the striker when it has reached its greatest height byreason of the rebound.

9. An apparatus for testing the hardness of a solid body, comprising incombination a striker, means for lifting the latter a given distance,means for releasing the striker from its lifting means When said strikerhas reached its highest position, permitting the striker to impinge andrebound from said and an automatic clutch comprising an outer relativelyfixed clutch member, an inner movable clutch member, and clutch ballsoperated by the latter for arresting the striker when it has reached itsgreatest height by reason of the rebound.

10. An apparatus for testing the hardness of a solid body, comprising incombination of a striker, means for lifting said striker, automaticmeans for releasing said striker from its lifting means, permitting saidstriker to impinge and rebound from said solid body, means for arrestingsaid striker.

ing means.

11. An apparatus for testing the hardness of a solid body, comprising incomblnation of a striker, a pilot-sleeve for'raising the latter, meansfor releasing said pilot-sleeve from said striker, permitting the latterto impinge and rebound from said solid body, and a clutch mechanismoperated by the said pilot-sleeve for preventing said striker fromimpinging said body more than once.

12. An apparatus for testing the hardness of a solid body, comprising incombination of a striker, a pilot-sleeve for raising the latter,automatic means for releasing said pilot-sleeve from said striker,permitting the latter to impinge and rebound from said solid body, and aclutch mechanism operated automatically by the said pilot-sleeve for 15preventing said striker from impinging said body more than once. Intestimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM F. SHORE.

Witnesses:

CHAS. J. MACELWEE, I. C. DRAKE.

